Is a great left tackle necessary for teams to win in the NFL?

There is clearly a belief among the football intelligentsia that a good left tackle is a must and something each team must have— especially if you have a good quarterback. While I certainly wouldn’t ever say that I wouldn’t make the left tackle position a priority on my team, the reality is that NFL offensive line coaches have a dirty little secret.

They only need a left tackle who is good enough as long as they have a quarterback who will get rid of the ball when need be.

Nobody hangs onto the ball (or catches more cases) in the NFL than Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, and yet the Steelers won a Super Bowl two years ago with Max Starks starting at left tackle. Starks is limited athletically, but he did a nice job of filling in for injured starter Marvel Smith during the season and used preparation, improved technique and football intelligence to get the job done that year.

Here are the starting left tackles from the last five Super Bowls (Pro Bowl appearances are in parenthesis).

2010:Colts — Charlie Johnson (0); Saints — Jermon Bushrod (0)

2009:Steelers — Max Starks (0); Cardinals — Mike Gandy (0)

2008:Patriots — Matt Light (2); Giants — David Diehl (1)

2007:Colts — Tarik Glenn (3); Bears — John Tait (2)

2006:Steelers — Marvel Smith (1); Seahawks — Walter Jones (9)

The league is more pass-oriented than ever before, and yet there is only one GREAT left tackle out of the last five Super Bowl teams with a smattering of good ones (David Diehl, Matt Light, Tarik Glenn) and mostly average players beyond that.

As long as tackles can move their feet, have a level of intelligence, have decent core strength and have a quarterback who understands how to feel pressure and get rid of it at the appropriate time if the left tackle is overmatched, then teams can win at a high level with just decent players at left tackle.